AS the dust settles on a remarkable National League I think it is well worthwhile taking stock of where the game is.
Unbeknown to myself I have become a bit of an optimist about all things GAA.
For years I have found myself unperturbed about the general talk of doom for our games and the criticism of the quality and entertainment value.
I think it all stemmed from being directly involved in the infamous ‘puke football’ game against Kerry in 2003.
I remember coming into that game and as a group of players we knew this had to be a watershed game for the county.
The atmosphere in the dressing room before the game and at half-time was simply incredible.
Our first half performance marked that Tyrone team's arrival at the big time and we simply blitzed Kerry with ferocious work rate and attacking football.
Epitomizing this was the famous tackling sequence in front of the Hogan stand which was on the Kerry '45 yardline, a fact lost on many.
The second half, admittedly, was more defensive but given all that was at stake.
An obviously unhappy Pat Spillane afterwards uttered the famous ‘puke football’ term and the rest, as they say, is history.
Even though we were lucky enough to be involved in many classic games over the next six years or so, this phrase and attitude hung over that Tyrone team, colouring many people’s opinions of that era.
The ability for negative sentiment to colour people’s opinion on games and teams was clear. It was a clear lesson that beauty is indeed in the eye of the beholder.
Dublin, under Pat Gilroy, and Donegal, under Jim McGuinness, brought in the defensive systems which were the more accurate embodiment of blanket defending.
Undoubtedly some horrendous matches followed, most notably Donegal versus Dublin in the All-Ireland semi-final of 2011 and consequent talk was of a game under grave threat and people turning away in droves.
Ironically, many people were increasingly looking wistfully back to the battles of the 'noughties' between the likes of Tyrone, Armagh, Kerry and Dublin.
Maybe it wasn’t 'puke football' after all.
The evolution of the game continued and Donegal in 2012 showed defence can still be scintillating as they added a brilliant counter-attack to their system in claiming that year’s All-Ireland.
Whilst I could sit and enjoy the tactical battles or admire the discipline and decision-making of the players playing these defensive tactics, plenty of games were undoubtedly hard to watch, particularly as it spread to all levels of the game.
Rule changes were suggested amid growing concern but as it had done through all the previous eras, the game moved on.
As Jim Gavin’s Dublin came on line in 2013 the game's modern evolution had impetus again.
Dublin were building on an already All-Ireland winning side but, in losing out to Donegal’s massive work rate and energy levels in 2014 they knew they had to improve and match Jim McGuinness’s much storied training levels.
So, with their resources they raised the bar again, so much so that for the past four years, they have generally left the rest of the country floundering in their wake.
At times it appeared, with their resources, numbers and Croke Park advantage, that the GAA had created a juggernaut that would be tough to stop.
That may still be the case but in this year’s League we have begun to see the signs of teams catching up: Donegal, Tyrone, Monaghan and Kerry all had Dublin on the rack in their respective League games.
What stood out to me in these games was the sheer intensity and quality that teams were pushing themselves to in the pursuit of Dublin.
These games would have all stood out in past years even if played as All-Ireland finals, yet these were League games.
It was brilliant stuff.
Dublin’s ability, driven by their unbeaten record, to match these performance levels and earn results was simply awe-inspiring.
That run always had to end sometime.
The League final against Kerry last Sunday was a suitably momentous game to mark the end of their stunning 36-game unbeaten run.
It showed the modern game at its very best. Teams are undoubtedly fitter than ever before but because of the intensity teams are routinely playing at now and because of the defensive structures that are so hard to break down, the skill levels have had to come up significantly too.
More importantly, we are once again seeing that thing which is always admired by GAA folk: raw effort.
This might sound strange but too often over previous years we have seen games where the primary impression leaving was the dominance of tactics.
Where the players' spirit and adventure had been curtailed into systems.
The evolution appears to be handing the power back to the players.
Yes, there were tactics at work on Sunday and in the Monaghan v Dublin game the week before and indeed the All-Ireland final last year.
Watching on, however, the effort, will to win, skill, physicality and brilliance of the players was what stood out, not the tactical systems.
It’s fantastic stuff.
Of course, not all games will be at that level.
Plenty of more ordinary fare will exist but that has always been the case.
For me, the game is turning once more and we could be in for some brilliant football over the next few years.
Gaelic Football is dead. Long live Gaelic Football!
